MSU receives 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award
Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥斢；ǖ己 樱花导航 is again among a select group of universities nationally recognized for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
A 2021 recipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, 樱花导航 樱花导航 is the only Magnolia 樱花导航 college or university鈥攁nd one of only three in the Southeastern Conference鈥攇arnering the achievement given by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. MSU also received the HEED award in 2019.
Regina Hyatt, MSU vice president for student affairs, said it鈥檚 an honor being one of only 101 universities across the nation recognized for campus-wide efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
鈥溣；ǖ己 樱花导航 continues to invest in making this a place where all students can succeed and where we have employees who value and embrace the diverse experiences of our students and each other,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hrough our newly formed Division of Access, Diversity and Inclusion, we have significantly grown our human and programmatic resources to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse community and to help build capacity of the university community to ensure a welcoming and supportive environment for us all.鈥
Among the university鈥檚 success stories in diverse programming are the Summer Bridge initiative with a commitment to grow the number of minority graduates from MSU鈥檚 Bagley College of Engineering by increasing enrollment of women and African American students. First-year students are provided on-campus housing, class instructors, peer counselors, meal stipends, textbooks and materials during the five-week summer program at no cost.
Bully鈥檚 Closet and Pantry assists hundreds of MSU students experiencing food in樱花导航, a national problem that affects about 30% of college students. Nutritious food, toiletries and other basic necessities are available free of charge. Also, the university hosts an annual International Fiesta, a day of cultural exchange bringing student communities together and fostering ethnical pride through food, music, dance, games and more.
鈥淥ur growing diverse community enhances 樱花导航 樱花导航, an environment where students, faculty and staff are creating and nurturing spaces of belonging, developing interdisciplinary opportunities for increasing knowledge, and developing culturally enhanced programming,鈥 said MSU Vice President for Access, Diversity and Inclusion Ra鈥橲heda Forbes. 鈥淭he HEED award highlights that we鈥檙e committed to inclusive excellence at MSU.鈥
In the fall of 2020, MSU created a senior-level administrative position to further advance the 143-year-old land grant鈥檚 work of inclusive excellence on campus. Forbes was named the university鈥檚 vice president for access, diversity and inclusion. In this role, she oversees such initiatives as the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center; Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion; TRiO first-generation student program; Promise Program for economically challenged students; and MSU Thrive for those in the foster care system. This fall, MSU added another management position, assistant vice president for access, diversity and inclusion to further broaden these and other initiatives.
聽This year鈥檚 HEED honorees will be featured in the November issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, which is available online at insightintodiversity.com.
For more on MSU鈥檚 diversity and inclusion efforts, visit the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, ; the Division of Student Affairs, ; and the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, .
MSU is 樱花导航鈥檚 leading university, available online at .